Coffee Shop Meetings and Texted Greetings: Percy's POV
by EmilyHerondaleBlackthorn
Summary: Coffee Shop AU (kinda). Percy's POV of my first fanfic, Coffee Shop Meetings and Texted Greetings. This can be read as a standalone, but both fanfics together give different sides of the story!


Percy was kind of sick of it.

Ever since Jason had started dating Piper all he ever heard from him these days was "Piper has this friend who is _perfect _for you", "Percy, you should _totally _text her", "We could go on double dates!"

He kept telling Jason that he didn't want to, but he would _not _take no for answer. It wasn't that Percy didn't want to, necessarily. Annabeth seemed nice enough from what he had heard from Jason and Piper, but he kind of hated blind dates – not that this was really a blind date, with it only being sharing phone numbers. But he had a history of bad blind dates.

First, there was Sarah, who was a friend of his friend Grover's girlfriend, Juniper. She was kind of crazy, and spent the entire date telling Percy how people should stop using electricity because they were killing the Earth, and _Gosh_, _why can't people just start living in the woods and stop destroying animal's habitats?, _ and then yelled at Percy in the middle of the restaurant when he pulled out his phone at the end of the date to call a taxi because _You're one of those people that uses cell phones?!_

Then there was Georgina. She was a friend of Percy's ex-girlfriend Rachel (who he had never dated seriously, and was still great friends with), who Rachel had set him up with. Georgina wasn't an artist, like Rachel was, but she loved poetry. After they had been on their first date - which went fine, but not fantastically - Percy hadn't felt that much of a connection, so he politely told her that he didn't think this was going to work out. Georgina had seemed sweet and understanding about it at the time, but Percy had received hate poetry every single day for an entire month. It wasn't even good poetry, and all went something along the lines of:

_Like a delicate flower_

_I gave my heart to you_

_And you crushed it_

_Like a bug under your shoe_

Yeah.

So, forgive him if he didn't want to be set with another of his friend's suggestions.

Percy sighed. He wanted a girlfriend though. Someone to go on fun dates with and bake cookies and snuggle with while watching movies and adopt a pet dog and have funny inside jokes that no one else understood. His mom was always telling him stories about his dad, who had died before he was born, and he had heard the story about how they had met at least a hundred times. And then there was his stepdad, Paul, who had met Percy's mom when he was 14 and was a great guy. Nothing at all like his previous stepdad, Gabe.

He looked at his phone. _Crap, _he thought, _I'm supposed to be at work in five minutes_. _And it's my test run_

He quickly shoved on his shoes and grabbed his phone, wallet and keys before rushing out the door.

XxX

It had been a long shift. Percy had started at 9 and was scheduled to have a break at 1, but the coffee shop was so crowded that he didn't have the chance to get away until after 3. He made a coffee for himself and grabbed a blueberry scone from the counter before taking his apron off and telling his boss, Hestia, that he was off for his lunch break.

"Of course, honey," said Hestia. "I'm sorry it's been so busy. Take as long as you need."

Hestia was a sweet lady, who Percy guessed as being in her late 50s to early 60s. She had no kids of her own, but she treated all her employees as if they were hers.

Percy stepped out of the shop and made his way to the park that was opposite it and sat down at one of the benches overlooking the little pond. Him and his mom had used to come here all the time when he was younger. They would take a picnic, which _always_ had blue jelly beans, and bring bread to feed the ducks and then play on the play equipment until Percy had tired himself out and needed a nap. He smiled at the memory. He pulled out his phone to see if he had any messages.

He had 6.

3 were from Jason, 1 was from Piper and the other 2 was from a number that he didn't recognise.

He opened the texts from Piper and Jason and was immediately taken aback by them.

**12:23pm**

**Jason**

_So, you've probably seen it by now_

_The text I mean_

_Just keep an open mind, man. I think you guys could work really well together _

What the hell?

**10:37am**

**Piper**

_I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOUR WEDDING, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE THE CUTEST BABIES OMG _

OK. What was going on?

He checked the texts sent to him by the unknown number.

**10:34am**

**0784503275**

_Hi, I'm Annabeth, a friend of Piper's and she said that you're one of Jason's friends?_

Then, another text a couple of minutes later.

_Look, I know the whole purpose of this is to set us up, but I'm not emotionally ready for a boyfriend right now. Sorry_

I guess Piper and Jason hadn't got the memo. Percy smiled to himself – at least she felt the same way. He didn't have to go around rejecting her that way. He tapped out a response on his phone.

**3:27pm **

**Percy**

_Hi, I'm Percy. Yeah, I'm one of Jason's friends. I'm assuming you're the girl Piper's always talking about?_

_I figured they were trying to set us up. Jason has been talking about you nonstop for like 3 months and I kept telling him no_

_Crap, that sounds rude_, Percy thought to himself.

_Woah that sounded rude. I mean it wasn't you I was saying no to, it was the whole idea of setting me up with someone I didn't know_

_Anyway, this doesn't have to be a romantic thing, it could just be platonic. I mean, I'm a great friend to have. I always tell the best jokes :P_

This wasn't strictly true. Percy thought he told the best jokes, but he had been told on numerous occasions that they were not good. But Annabeth didn't have to know that did she?

_For example, what did the seaweed say when it was in trouble?_

_Kelp me! _

Percy smiled at that. He definitely had a penchant for ocean themed jokes.

XxX

Percy shift was only scheduled until 4:30, when the coffee shop closed, and by the time he got from his lunch break, it was already 3:52.

"You can just finish early, Percy," said Hestia, smiling at him. "You've definitely proved yourself today, and I would love to have you on regularly. But you've already worked enough today, I think I can handle the counter until closing."

"Are you sure?" said Percy, "I don't mind staying. It's only another half an hour."

"Of course. Go!"

Percy said a cheery goodbye to Hestia and then went to the small break room in the back of the room to grab his bag. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked to see if there were any messages. There were none.

_It hasn't even been half an hour yet, Percy, _he thought to himself. _Give her a chance to respond. _

He was, surprisingly, feeling a little antsy. He didn't know why. He had absolutely no plans on ever hooking up with Annabeth, so it wasn't like he was nervous for her response. He chalked it down to his ADHD.

Percy exited the shop and started to walk down the street, still staring at his phone, when he felt himself bump into someone.

He looked down to see a woman with blonde, curly hair sitting on the ground. _Her hair kind of looks like princess curls, _he thought. She then looked up and stared at Percy with those round, grey eyes of hers. She looked a little annoyed.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, are you ok?" he said. He offered his hand to her, but she ignored it.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the woman replied.

Percy diverted his gaze to the ground, where he saw her phone lying there. He picked it up and was relieved to see it wasn't cracked.

"I think you dropped this," Percy said, handing the phone to the woman. She took it and thanked him.

Still feeling a little bad, he told the woman, "Hey, I really am sorry. Can I make it up to you with coffee?"

He pointed to the sign of the coffee shop that was just behind them. As a staff member, he was entitled to free coffee, so he figured he might as well use it.

"No, I'm fine," she replied. She seemed to be a little impatient. "It wasn't _all _your fault anyway. I was kind of preoccupied."

Percy glanced down at her phone. Oh. She had been on her phone as well. That explained why neither of them had seen each other.

He grinned at her. "Oh, kids and technology these days," he said, doing what he thought was a rather good impression of what an older person would say when talking to younger generations.

That seemed to soften her resolve a little. He noticed her looking at him. _Damn, that must have been a good impression_, he thought, a little impressed with himself. Then, he heard his phone beep, and he looked down to see a text from his mom.

**3:59pm**

**Mom**

_Are we still on for dinner tonight? I made some of your favourite blue chocolate chip cookies!_

Blue chocolate chip cookies? Percy never needed an excuse to go see his mom, but he was definitely going now. Plus, his little sister would eat them all if he didn't go and he was NOT about to let that happen.

He then remembered the woman standing in front of him. He looked up, smiling at her apologetically. "Sorry, but that's my mom. I have to go."

"Wow, a little hypocritical, aren't we? Who's the one using technology now?" she replied, smirking at him. Percy could hear the playfulness in her voice. "Besides, you don't know me. Why are you apologising?"

Percy grinned at her and said goodbye before leaving.

He hadn't been walking for more than a couple of minutes when he heard his phone beep again.

**3:02pm**

**Annabeth**

_Oh my God, I think you need some kelp if you think that is funny Seaweed Brain :P_

Seaweed Brain? What the hell did that mean? He decided to ask Annabeth.

**Percy**

_Seaweed Brain?_

**Annabeth**

_Yeah. Because of your astoundingly bad seaweed jokes :P_

_My jokes aren't bad! _Percy thought, a little indignant. And what kind of a name was Seaweed Brain? If he had to have a horrible nickname, then so did Annabeth.

**Percy**

_Wow, that is some interesting logic. Well if I'm Seaweed Brain then you must be Wise Girl_

XxX

"Sooo…" Jason began casually, reaching into the bag of chips that sat between them on the couch. "How's life been lately?"

Percy thought this was a rather odd question. They were roommates, so Jason knew pretty much everything Percy did about Percy's life. Then he realised that Jason was, in fact, talking about what was going on with him and Annabeth.

"Oh. You mean how is Annabeth going?" he responded.

Jason paused the game they were playing. "_That's _not what I meant. Can't I wonder how my friend has been lately?"

"You are literally the worst liar in the history of the world," Percy responded.

Jason sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes."

"So…" Jason prompted.

"She's fine," said Percy.

"Just fine?"

"Yep."

This wasn't strictly true. Percy actually really liked Annabeth; they had clicked from the get-go. It had helped that neither of them had actually wanted to start a relationship, and their friendship had seemed to blossom from there. However, he didn't want to admit that to Jason.

XxX

**Seaweed Brain**

_I literally have the best joke ever for you today_

_Have you heard about the restaurant that caters exclusively to dolphins?_

_It only has one customer, but at least it serves a porpoise_

**Wise Girl**

_I swear to God Percy, if you don't stop these horrendous jokes, I will murder you in your sleep_

**Seaweed Brain**

_I am _deep_ly offended by that Annabeth but if you're shore you want me to stop, I'll try to keep them at bay_

**Wise Girl**

:

XxX

**2****nd**** October 2017**

Percy was staring at his phone in the breakroom at work when he heard the door open. He looked up and saw Frank enter. He had talked to him a couple of times in the few shifts they had scheduled together, and while he seemed like a cool guy, he didn't know much about him.

"Hey," said Frank, almost shyly. "How are you?"

Percy smiled at that. It was hilarious to Percy how someone who looked like Frank did – tall and muscular – could come across as being shy and nervous.

"I am going swimmingly," said Percy, throwing in an ocean pun for the hell of it.

He saw Frank wince a little at that, but Frank was too polite to say anything else.

"So, we have sort of a tradition around here," Frank continued. "Every once in a while, we switch shirts to see whether Hestia notices. It's become kind of a running joke. If she doesn't, we all get free food, and if she does, we have to work for an extra half an hour without pay."

"How does she _not _notice?" asked Percy. "Isn't it kind of obvious when everyone wears different size shirts?"

Frank smiled. "Honestly, I think Hestia just pretends not to notice it most of the time. She's really sweet, and I think she even finds it kind of funny. I mean, have you seen Hazel? She's tiny. When we switch, it's hilarious."

Percy had met her. She was sweet, with warm brown skin and cinnamon coloured curls. She had hugged Percy the first time they had ever met and told her that she was excited to be working with him. Percy then noticed Frank blushing. _Oh, he likes Hazel. _From the way that Hazel talked about Frank, he was pretty sure that the feeling was mutual.

"Anyway, do you want to join in?"

Percy smiled. Yes, he definitely wanted to join in. It sounded like fun.

"Yeah, sure!"

"Cool. Our next attempt is on Thursday. I think we both have the same shift, so we'll be the ones swapping."

"Alright, man, see you then," said Percy.

Frank said goodbye and left the breakroom, leaving Percy to himself. He went back to staring at his phone, waiting for Annabeth to respond to his most recent text. They had only been talking for a week and a half, and Percy liked her. Like, a lot. They just… clicked. Which made absolutely no sense. They were completely polar opposites. Annabeth liked to start assignments early; Percy didn't. Percy liked his funny jokes; Annabeth didn't. This resulted in Annabeth constantly nagging Percy to not procrastinate and actually start his assignments before the night before they were due and caused Percy's jokes to continue by the dozen. In fact, the only thing they both really had in common is that they were both dyslexic and had ADHD.

Percy heard the familiar ding that indicated that he had a message and smiled, before looking down at the text from Annabeth

XxX

**5****th**** October 2017**

Percy had been working for a couple of weeks at Hestia's coffee shop, and he could honestly say that he loved it. He had gotten to know a few of the other staff members, namely Frank and Hazel, quite well, playing stupid games and asking weird questions during the lull in customers at the café. They had also hung out outside of work a few times. Percy had asked them two days after starting there if they wanted to see a movie when they finished their shifts, and they had agreed happily, and after just a few short weeks he felt like he had known them for as long as some of his other friends.

Today, Percy was working as barista making the drinks, while Frank was serving customers at the counter. It was a job that Percy didn't enjoy as much as actually serving customers - he loved talking to all the different people that came through the doors – the stern businessmen, the busy moms, the 'too cool for school' preteens who acted like they were so much more mature then they actually were – but it was fun to make different drinks. He liked to guess what the person was like by what coffee they ordered.

He finished up the drink he was making – a long black – and scoffed at the order. From his experience, only boring people ordered that type of coffee; Percy himself was partial to the super sugary drinks. He double checked where this order was going – table four – and made his way over to it. He was surprised to see the back of a young blonde girl's head, which was not at all what he was expected.

"Here's your coffee, ma'am," Percy said, placing the coffee onto the table in front of the girl.

The girl looked up, and as soon as her eye's met Percy's a recognition flickered in them. Percy smirked, recognising the girl as well. "Typical," he said, "Always on their technology. God help the world."

"I didn't know you worked here," she said, glancing down at his shirt.

_Why would you? You don't know me, _he thought to himself, instead saying "I just started a couple of weeks ago. Actually, the day that you bumped into me was the day that I was hired.

She feigned being taken aback, a smirk forming.

"The day that I bumped into you? I seem to remember things going a little differently."

Percy smiled, before realising that Frank was serving another customer that had just walked into the shop. "Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I've got work to do. See you around?" he asked.

"Maybe," the girl replied.

Percy could feel her eyes on him as he made his way back to the coffee machine.

XxX

**27****th**** October 2017**

Percy was surprised at how nervous he was to ask Annabeth. _Chill dude, _he told himself, _it's not a big deal. _

But it was, to Percy. He was going to ask Annabeth if she wanted to meet in person, after texting each other non-stop for just over a month, for the first time ever. And he didn't know if she was going to say yes. Sure, they had started this thing out with the intention of never speaking to each other, but along the way they had become friends – at least Percy had thought so – and he really wanted to meet her. Even with absolutely no intention of ever becoming more than friends which Percy _definitely _did not want to happen. Maybe.

So, he decided to text her.

**Seaweed Brain**

_Hey, are you going to Piper and Jason's Halloween party?_

There. It was simple and unassuming. A few minutes later he saw the familiar three bubbles, indicating that Annabeth was typing. He saw them disappear a few times before a response came through.

**Wise Girl**

_I don't know. I have a lot of assignments and tests to study for_

Percy felt his heart sink in his chest. It wasn't a no, necessarily, but it definitely wasn't a yes. At Annabeth's words, he suddenly realised something; _He liked Annabeth_. As in, wanted to be more than friends liked Annabeth. He swallowed, feeling desperate, and sent a response before he could stop himself.

**Seaweed Brain**

_Please?_

_We could finally meet in person_

Annabeth replied a few minutes later.

**Wise Girl**

_We'll see_

XxX

**31****st**** October 2017**

Percy prepared the coffee and picked a piece of carrot cake off of the counter, taking it over to table number four, where the girl was sitting. She always sat in the same spot.

He placed her drink and the piece of cake in front of her and returned the smile that she gave him when she looked up. She had only ordered the coffee, and Percy had thrown in the piece of cake as a joke.

Percy had done this the first time a couple of days after their second meeting. She had come back into the coffee shop and ordered her usual, and he had bought a croissant over to her and said, "I'm sorry for bumping into you."

The girl had looked at him, surprised. "You've already apologised. You don't need to keep doing it."

Percy had responded with, "My mom raised me to be like a gentleman, and if the gentleman gives you free food you take it."

The girl, her eyes glinting, had smiled and said, "It's a shame she only raised you to be like a gentleman and not actually be one."

Percy always looked forward to this banter. It was a fun break to the usual monotony of the conversations he had with people. It was also fun because the girl was always trying to figure out his actual name. He had explained to her on their second meeting, when he was wearing Leo's shirt, that him and his co-workers tried to trick their boss into not noticing, in exchange for free food. Ever since then, she tried to sneakily get him to slip up on what his actual name was.

Today, after their banter, he asked the girl if she had any plans for tonight.

"It is Halloween after all," he said.

The girl smiled, although it was a weak one, and said, "No, I'm just having a relaxing night in."

Percy suspected that there was more to what she was saying, but he didn't really know her well enough to press her further.

"Well, have a good night!" he said with a smile, heading back to work.

XxX

As soon as Percy finished his shift, he pulled out his phone and texted Annabeth.

**Seaweed Brain**

_Annabeth, what's your Halloween costume?_

_Let me guess, its Frank Lloyd Wright_

_You never shut up about him_

She responded quickly.

**Wise Girl**

_I don't think I'm going_

Percy was stunned. He had been looking forward to tonight for the past couple of days. Annabeth, while never outright saying she was going had never said no, and Percy thought that had meant she was coming. He had thought he was _finally _going to meet her.

**Seaweed Brain**

_What, Annabeth you have to come _

_I want to meet you _

_Please come_

_Please_

_Please_

_PLEASE_

XxX

Later that night, Percy was at the party, but he felt kind of empty. Annabeth really wasn't going to turn up. And he had spent ages working on his Halloween costume, which was of Nemo to represent all the stupid puns he made about the ocean.

He was standing in the kitchen refilling his drink, away from the loud music and dancing and loud chatter of the next room over. Piper and Jason were there, of course, along with some of his other friends; Rachel, Thalia, Nico, Will, and Hazel, Frank and Leo, who Percy had invited from the café. He heard someone walk in and looked over to see Jason.

"Hey," said Jason, looked at him with concern, "are you OK?"

"Yeah," said Percy instinctively, "why wouldn't I be?"

Of course, he wasn't, and Percy could see that Jason didn't really believe him, but he didn't ask any more questions and Percy felt thankful for that.

"OK, cool dude," said Jason, "we're going to beer pong if you want to come join."

He didn't, but he followed Jason into the next room anyway.

XxX

**1****st**** November 2017**

Percy woke the next morning late, thankful that he didn't have work or school early. He thought back to last night, missing Annabeth suddenly. He grabbed his phone and texted Annabeth a stupid joke that his little sister had told him last year.

**Seaweed Brain**

_How many letters are there in the Christmas alphabet?_

_25, there's no L_

Annabeth's response was almost instant. Maybe she had missed him too.

**Wise Girl**

_Why does it not surprise me that you're the kind of person to start celebrating Christmas on November 1?_

**Seaweed Brain**

_Um, excuse me, but Christmas starts as soon as Halloween ends it's a well-known fact_

Then, feeling brave, he texted

_I missed you last night_

Annabeth didn't respond to that. But Percy realised something. He was falling in love with her.

XxX

**11****th**** November 2017**

Percy had spent the past couple of weeks thinking about his feelings for Annabeth and had come to the conclusion that _yes_, he definitely was in love with her. He loves her sarcastic humour, the way she calls out his bad jokes, the way she is always willing to talk, even in the middle of the night when he texts her with stupid questions like _Do fish ever wonder if humans are drowning when they look at us through aquarium glass? _He loves the way she gets super nerdy when she talks about architecture, and when she babbles for what feels like hours about the things she's learning at college.

He sighs, bringing himself back to the present. He's finished with the drink he's making for the girl (what he has dubbed the blonde girl he ran into, not knowing her actual name – surprisingly it hasn't come up in the almost two months they've known each other) and grabs a croissant as he makes his way over to her. Usually, he'll stand and chat for a few minutes but it's particularly quiet today, so he sits in the seat across from her.

He feels giddy. He feels like he could walk on sunshine, as cheesy as that sounds.

The girl sips on her coffee, and Percy asks, before he thinks about what he is saying, "Have you ever been in love?"

The girl looks surprised, but responds, "That's an odd question to ask a total stranger."

Percy smiles at this, "I would hardly consider us strangers. We've known each other for almost two months, and I talk to you every time you're in. Plus, I give you free food."

"I don't even know your name. All I know is sometimes you're Frank and sometimes you're Leo and sometimes you're Hazel. I don't even know if any of them are real name."

"Oh, my name's Hazel, definitely," he responded, winking at her. "But in all seriousness, my real name is…"

The girl interrupts him before he can finish.

"Don't," she says. "I kind of enjoy the mystery. I get to guess who'll you be each day. Makes my life really exciting.

She says it sarcastically, but Percy wonders if maybe she means it a little bit.

"So, have you?" he prompts, referring to his original question.

The girl appears to think for a minute.

"Yeah, I have," she responds after her pause. She sounds sad, and Percy wonders if he should have kept his mouth shut.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"He cheated on me," she said.

Percy winced. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's OK," the girl responded. She didn't look like she was OK, though. "It was two years ago."

XxX

**Wise Girl**

_Hey, can you tell me one of your horrible jokes?_

**Seaweed Brain**

_Why? You never want to hear my jokes_

**Wise Girl**

_I had a bad day and I want you to cheer me up_

**Seaweed Brain**

_Are you okay?_

**Wise Girl**

_Not really, just tell me a joke_

**Seaweed Brain**

_How many tickles does it take to tickle an octopus?_

**Wise Girl**

_I don't know, how many?_

**Seaweed Brain**

_Tentacles!_

**Wise Girl**

_I think that's the worst joke I've heard yet_

_Thanks Percy_

_You're one of my best friends 3 _

**Seaweed Brain**

_Anytime Annabeth_

_You're one of mine as well 3_

XxX

**November 18****th**** 2017**

Percy was feeling a little antsy. He recently had come to the conclusion that he was, in fact, in love with Annabeth, but he had no idea how to go about telling her, if he should at all. He really, really liked talking with her, and he didn't want things to be weird between them if he confessed because she had made it abundantly clear that she didn't want a boyfriend, but Percy didn't know if he could keep talking to her without it becoming obvious. And it wasn't like he could talk to Jason, or even Piper, about it. He had told them that him and Annabeth were talking, although not that much, but Jason had no idea about how often they were texting each other or how close they had become. And if he told them now, he didn't think that they would give him the best advice because they would just be excited that him and Annabeth were potentially going to become a couple. And none of his other friends – Frank, Hazel, Leo – really knew Annabeth, so he couldn't ask them either.

Percy sighed. He was working again at the coffee shop, trying to distract himself from his feelings by making coffee when he released who he was making coffee for. He looked up, glancing at table four, and smiled when he saw the familiar blonde curls. Maybe he could talk to someone about it after all.

He made his way over to the table, coffee in hand, and sat down in front of her. He gave her his best, most pleading smile, and said, "I need some advice."

The girl picked up her coffee and took a sip. "With what?" she responded.

Percy smiled. He knew she would help.

"So, I am definitely in love with this girl. I don't think I can hide it from her much longer. How do I know if she feels the same way?"

The girl looked a little perplexed at this.

"Why are you asking me?" she asked.

Percy didn't know why, but he had a feeling that this girl was smart. Maybe it was the way that she carried herself, or maybe it was the way she always seemed to be working on assignments whenever he saw her, or maybe it was because she always had some snarky comment to make back to his. But he knew that she could help him.

"I don't know," he finally responded, "but you're a girl and my friend and you are giving off wise vibes to me."

"Wise vibes?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Your vibes are telling me you are wise."

The girl smiled at this. "Well, I'm not the best when it comes to love. I never know when someone feels the same way about me. I wish I did."

The girl froze after saying this, like she had said something she didn't mean to. It took Percy a second to realise the true meaning behind her words.

"Oh my God, you're in love as well," he said enthusiastically. "What's he like? Or she, I don't judge."

The girl mulled over this for a second, seemingly having an internal war of whether to say something or not before finally responding with, "Yeah, I'm in love but it doesn't matter. I'm never going to tell him."

"Why not?" Percy asked, genuinely confused.

"I'm not ready for a relationship. Besides, who would like me?" she said, almost as a joke, but Percy picked up on the subtle sadness behind the sentence.

"Who wouldn't? You're beautiful and funny and smart. I'm sure any guy would be lucky to have you."

He said it to cheer her up, but it wasn't entirely untruthful. She was beautiful and she was funny, and she was smart. Percy was sure any guy would be lucky to have her.

"You barely know me."

"I'm quite observant."

XxX

Percy finished his shift and, spurred on by his conversation with the girl, decided he was going to tell Annabeth. Soon. Hopefully in person, but he didn't know if Annabeth was going to agree with that. He picked up and his phone and fired off a text to her.

**Seaweed Brain**

_Hey, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?_

**Wise Girl**

_I'm actually going to spend it with my dad. He reached out to me and said he wanted another chance. He's paying for my plane ticket_

_Crap_, thought Percy, _there goes my plan to tell her in person. _

**Seaweed Brain**

_You're going to be all the way in California? I'm going to miss you_

**Wise Girl**

_They still have reception in California you idiot :P_

But it wasn't the same. Percy felt close to her by being in the same city as her, even if they had never met. If he was going to tell her how he truly felt, he wanted it to be with her in the same city as him. But even that looked like it wasn't going to happen.

**Seaweed Brain**

_I know, but I feel close to you knowing we live in the same city_

**Wise Girl**

_I feel the same way_

Percy smiled at this. _Maybe there is a chance she wants to be together._

**Seaweed Brain**

_I'll miss you 3_

**Wise Girl**

_I'll miss you too 3_

XxX

**23****rd**** November 2017 **

From the moment Percy had woken up that morning, he knew today was going to be the day. He had jumped out of bed, got himself a cup of coffee and started to write out a text to Annabeth, trying to put his feelings into words, but it hadn't come. He had tried all day to find the right words, but it hadn't come to him until dinner that night.

They had been sitting around the table, Percy and his mom and his stepdad and his little sister, Estelle, and they had gone around the table saying what they were thankful for. His mom had gone first, saying all the usual mom stuff, like she was thankful that everyone was healthy and safe and together, and then Paul and then Estelle, who was thankful for toys and candy and The Little Mermaid (which Percy had gotten her addicted to). And then it had gotten to Percy and, staring at the roast turkey and the blue mashed potatoes and the green beans in the centre of the table, the only thing he could think was _Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth. _And suddenly, he knew how he had to tell her.

After they had finished with dinner, Percy went into his room and sat on his bed, drafting his text to Annabeth. Once he was finished, he pressed send before he could chicken out and went out to join his family for a movie.

**Seaweed Brain**

_Hi, I hope everything's going well in California_

_Annabeth? There's something I need to tell you_

_When me and my family were saying what we were thankful for, the only thing I could think of was you (OK maybe not the only thing, because I love my friends and family, but you were the first). I am so thankful for you Annabeth. I don't know where I would be today without you. It sounds cheesy and corny, but it's the truth. This made me realise that I needed to tell you something…_

_I don't know how to put this so I'm just going to come out and say it. I love you Annabeth. I love you so much, and I don't know what I'd do if you weren't in my life. I love your sarcastic humour, I love that you tolerate my terrible jokes, I love that you let me text you the most random things in the middle of the night and you still respond. I love that even though I don't know what you look like, I can tell that you are beautiful and smart and funny. I love you._

_I know you don't feel the same, but I don't think I can go on without telling you_

XxX

**30****th**** November 2017**

Annabeth hadn't responded to his texts. Percy knew what that meant. She didn't love him. He had tried to reach out to her in the time since Thanksgiving, sent her texts asking her to please just say something to him, tell him anything, please. She had only responded with, '_I just need time to think'. _

XxX

In the first couple of weeks of December, Percy tried to act like everything was fine. Every time Piper or Nico or Frank, or whoever, came over to his and Jason's apartment, he would pretend like he was fine, and everything was fine and not at all like his entire universe had come shattering down around him. He didn't know how well it was working but no one had asked him what was wrong, thank God, although sometimes he noticed questioning glances when his friends thought he wasn't looking.

The only person he couldn't seem to fool was Jason.

"Hey," he had asked one day, after Percy had returned from his shift at work, "everything OK with you?"

Percy had grunted in response, saying, "yeah, why wouldn't it be?" but it was a lie and they both knew it.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Jason had said, uncharacteristically serious.

"Yeah," Percy had responded, already halfway to his room.

A couple of days later, Percy walked in after work and saw Piper and Jason huddled together on the couch, whispering to each other. He only heard bits of their conversation – _she seems really sad; she won't tell me what's wrong _– before they realised he was there.

"Percy!" Piper said after seeing him, leaping up from the couch to give him a hug. "How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I'm… alright," he said, although it couldn't be further from the truth.

Piper looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you OK? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just work's crazy busy at the moment with Christmas just around the corner."

Piper didn't look convinced.

"Well," he said, making his way to his room, "I would love to stay and chat, but I'm really busy. It was good to see you, though, Piper."

Percy didn't see the quizzical look Piper gave in his direction.

XxX

**17****th**** December 2017**

Working at the coffee shop was the one joy in Percy's life recently, as weird as it sounds. The busyness of the Christmas season meant that there was constantly a line almost through the door, the rush giving Percy a chance to focus on something other than himself, a way to keep his feelings at bay. The smell of the shop helped too, the pinecone, cranberry, gingery mix reminding him of when he was young, baking with his mom in preparation for Christmas.

He was preparing the usual order for the girl, the one who sat in number four. He hadn't spoken to her since before the whole debacle and, for the first time, he wasn't entirely looking forward to talking to her. He knew the way he looked and knew that she would also know the instant she saw him.

He walks over, bringing a plate of gingerbread men, and sits down in front of her.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he says, although more to the table (which he's staring at) than to her.

"Yeah, I've had stuff I've needed to deal with."

Percy knowns what her next question is going to be, so he babbles out pre-emptively, "I told her."

"Oh," she responds, followed by, "Are you OK?"

Percy almost laughs at this because he thinks it's pretty obvious that he is not OK. "Not really. I haven't talked to her in weeks. I think I've totally ruined our friendship. I didn't want to do that. She's one of my best friends. I just didn't think that I could go on any longer without telling her how I felt. I didn't want it to change anything."

Even though he can feel tears start to form in eyes, it feels good to blurt out his feelings to someone. Especially someone who doesn't know anything about Annabeth so they can be impartial.

The girl responds then, words of comfort and sympathy, but it's obvious that her mind's somewhere else. They finish up their exchange and say their goodbyes, with the girl wishing him luck before she walks out the door.

XxX

Percy was packing some of his things – clothes, deodorant, toothbrush – when Jason walked into his room.

"You planning on going somewhere?" he asked.

"I'm going to go stay with my mom for a few days. We have a tradition where we spend the couple of days before Christmas baking cookies and watching Christmas movies and stuff, and I want to do it with Estelle."

It was the truth, kind of. They did have that tradition, and Percy did want to do it with Estelle, but he also wanted to get away from Jason and the pitying glances he would throw in Percy's direction every once in a while. He couldn't stand it any longer.

"Is this really about that thought?"

Percy was a little taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, man," Jason had responded. "I'm your best friend. Do you really think I wouldn't notice that you are clearly hung up about something?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. You're kind of acting like… oh my God," Jason said quickly, "You're in love! Or you're heartbroken, I mean. Who is it?"

Percy laughed, but it was bitter. "No one."

"Is it Hazel? Reyna? Nico?"

"Well, Hazel's dating Frank, Reyna scares the hell out of me and I'm not gay, so no, no and no."

Jason was quiet for a minute, before saying, "You know I'm here if you want to talk."

Percy thought about it, before coming to a decision. What did he have to lose?

"Annabeth."

"What?" Jason looked confused. "What about Annabeth?"

"That's who I'm in love with. I lied when I said that we stopped talking. We've been talking ever since that first day. We didn't want you to interfere with anything, and we knew that if we told you we were still talking, you would have tried to get us to do things we weren't comfortable with. So, we decided to keep talking but not say anything to you guys. And, over the past few months I realised that I love her. And then when I tried to tell her that, she told me that she needed time to think and she hasn't responded to me since.

Jason looked stunned, clearly finding it a lot to take in.

"When did this happen?" he gently asked.

"Thanksgiving."

The realisation was obvious in Jason's face. Obviously, he had put together Percy's mood and the timeline since.

"I'm so sorry," Jason said, walking over to give Percy a hug.

They didn't say anything for a while and just stood there, letting Percy's tears go unnoticed.

XxX

**22****nd**** December 2017 **

Percy had been at his mom's house for a couple of days, and spending time with his mom and his sister, along with his favourite blue chocolate chip cookies, had made him feel a little better. One of his favourite parts of Christmas was watching his little sister enjoy all the things he had when he was younger. He had introduced her to his favourite Christmas movies, such as _The Grinch who Stole Christmas _and _The Santa Clause_, and they made gingerbread houses and snickerdoodle cookies and puddings, eating half the batter before they could even bake it. He didn't even have to work until Christmas Eve, so he could spend the next couple of days completely immersed in the Christmas tradition.

He almost forgot how much it hurt to think about Annabeth.

He had turned his phone off and chucked it into one of drawers in his old room, under t-shirts and socks from when he was a teenager. He hadn't checked it since he left his apartment, so he had no idea if anyone was trying to reach him, but that didn't matter. It helped him to forget a little about Annabeth's texts too.

He came back one day from taking Estelle to the ice skating rink, where they had spent hours with Percy holding Estelle's hands and guiding her through the rink, laughing at her shrieks as they glided through the middle. It had been one of the best days he had had in a while. His mom was there to greet them when he got home and held out a note to Percy.

"Jason bought this over and said to give it to you. Said something about you not answering your phone?" his mom said. Percy suspected that his mom had some idea what was going on, but she knew he didn't want to talk about.

"Thanks," he said, taking the folded piece of paper and sticking it in the drawer with his phone, not bothering to read it.

XxX

**24****th**** December 2017**

Percy was working on Christmas Eve, which usually he would be annoyed at, but today he didn't mind. He was feeling much better, after a few days of spending time with his family and enjoying Christmas festivities. He was busy making drink orders when he noticed the girl walk in, size up the number of people in line and then sit down without ordering. He busied himself with making coffees and hot chocolates and saw her order when there was hardly anyone left in line. He got to her order, her usual long black coffee, and scoffed, instead making them both two giant cups of hot chocolate, overflowing with cream and finished off with a candy cane. It was almost time for his break, so he took both cups and a plate of mince pies over to where the girl was sitting.

"Hey," he said, enthusiasm clear in his voice, "Merry Christmas!"

"It's not Christmas until tomorrow."

"I know," he responded, "I just love Christmas."

"So, what are your plans for Christmas?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, I'm working the late shift tonight until 9, and then I get off. A couple of my friends are throwing a party, so I might swing by depending on how I feel. And then Christmas tomorrow with my family. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm just having a low-key Christmas, might see a couple of friends," she replied.

"You're not spending it with family?" he asked. Percy couldn't fathom spending Christmas without his family.

"My family and I have a complicated relationship," she said. "I didn't speak to my dad for years and now we're trying to give it another go. I spent Thanksgiving with them. I think Christmas is more of a just me thing at the moment."

They talked for a little while after that, mostly about trivial things; the news, their favourite Christmas movies, what their plans were for New Years. When they said goodbye, the girl had given him a quick hug and said a Merry Christmas as she left.

XxX

It was almost 9, the shop's closing time, and Percy had been working at the shop for almost 10 hours. It had been a mad rush that afternoon, with what felt like everyone in New York coming in to buy gingerbread men and cookies and all sorts of goods for Christmas tomorrow. He was glad he had had his break early, when the girl came in, because otherwise he wouldn't have got it at all. There was just him and Hestia know in the shop, and what he hoped would be their final customer for the day.

Until the front door burst open dramatically, making the little bell that stood above it swing furiously.

Percy felt annoyed for a minute, thinking it was another customer, until he looked up and noticed the girl standing in the doorway. She was wearing a fancy dark blue dress, so unlike what he usually saw her in, her cheeks were red, and her hair and lack of breath made it clear that she had run here from somewhere. Probably a party, from the way she was dressed. He glanced at her oddly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I need to speak to you. Urgently. Once you're done, I mean," she said fiercely.

Percy was confused. Hestia looked to him and smiled and said, "Go, I've got this under control."

He returned the smile, thanking her.

Percy walked over to table four, her usual spot.

"Soooo…," he started, "you wanted to talk to me?"

He was still confused.

"Look, I need to tell you something and I would really appreciate it if you stayed quiet until the end."

It didn't sound unreasonable. "That sounds like something I can do."

She started talking, staring mostly at the table in front of her.

"When I was born, my mom and dad weren't together. My dad didn't even know she was pregnant, actually. And so, one day, my dad found me lying on his front door with a note attached from my mom saying that I was his daughter. It was quite a shock for him. He didn't want me. He asked my mom to take me back, but she couldn't, so he was stuck raising the daughter he wished he never had.

"Skip forward 4 years and I'm 5 years old. My dad gets married to my stepmother, who seemed to hate me from the get-go. She wouldn't let me see my dad when he was at home and she wouldn't let me ring him if he was away from home. My dad acted like I didn't exist. So, I decided to run away from home. I packed all my toys and food and water into a backpack and I just left. My dad didn't even notice for 3 days. By the time he had noticed, I had travelled almost 20 miles. I ran away 7 times between the ages of 7 and 12, and every single time, he didn't notice for a couple of days. That's where my trust issues start.

"I never really let anyone close after that. I knew that from an early age, I didn't have anyone I could trust. I didn't have many friends. I didn't have any friends that I trusted up until I met Pi... uh... until middle school.

"Fast forward a couple of years, and I'm a freshman in high school. I have a huge crush on the captain of the basketball team - his name was Luke Castellan and he was a senior. Anyway, he asked me out, and I said yes, and I felt special and important and like I actually mattered for the first time in my life.

"We dated for 3 years, up until I was a Junior in high school and he was a sophomore in college, and I loved him and I thought he loved me... but I found out that he had been cheating on me for the past two years with a whole bunch of different girls. And when I confronted him about it..."

The girl took a shaky breath, before continuing.

"... he told me that I was messed up and that I never deserved to be in a relationship because I messed up everything I touched and that I deserved to be cheated on because I was such a bitch."

At this, the girl finally looked up at him. Instinctively, Percy reached across the table to take her hand, trying to convey the sympathy he felt towards her. She smiled at him. Percy still didn't know why she was telling him this, but he was sympathetic towards her, nonetheless.

"And that's where my trust issues come from. My childhood kind of messed me up in a general way, but my relationship with Luke messed me up in a more specific way. He made me think that I was useless and worthless, and I didn't deserve to be happy. I gave him everything; he was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, the first guy I held hands with. And he just..."

Her voice broke on the last sentence, the tears falling harder.

"You don't have to keep going," Percy told her gently.

"But I'm almost finished," she replied.

She continued a second later.

"So, after Luke, I was even more screwed up then I was before and I kind of promised myself that I would never put myself in a position where I would let myself get hurt again. And I didn't. Until I started talking to this guy and I fell head over heels in love with him. I loved him in a completely different way than I loved Luke. It invaded me wholly, and I had no choice in the matter. I _have_ no choice in the matter."

The girl took a breath before saying, "I'm sorry Percy."

Percy was shocked. How did this girl know his name? And why was she apologising to him?

"You know my name? How do you know my name?"

"I'm sorry for freaking when you said you loved me. I'm sorry for ignoring you for so long. But most of all, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you how I felt about you sooner, especially when you had the courage to do it in the first place."

Percy felt like he was having an out of body experience. This girl, the one with the princess curls, the one who always ordered the same coffee and sat at the same table, who Percy had seen so many times in the past few months was… Annabeth?

"Annabeth?" he whispered, for confirmation.

She, Annabeth, nodded, causing even more tears to fall from her eyes.

"Oh my god, Annabeth! When did you find out?"

He had jumped out of his chair at this point.

"Uhh… about half an hour ago."

"How'd you find out?"

"Umm… I was talking to Reyna and she mentioned seeing me in here with you and…" she paused, looking like she was trying to collect her thoughts, "… she may have told me your name. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together."

"You love me?"

Of all the things to pop out of Percy's mouth, he couldn't believe that was the first thing. He was a little shocked at his brain for seemingly working without a filter, but he couldn't deny that that was one of the most important things he had heard come out of her mouth.

Annabeth looked him in the eye and stood up, walking around to stand in front of him. One she reached him, she put her hand on his chest, directly over his heart.

"Percy, I am totally, wholly, deeply, madly in love with you."

It was so cheesy, but the words made Percy happier than he's ever felt.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to hear those words for."

"Well, you've never heard me speak before, so maybe 20 minutes?"

Percy smiled at this. Even now, after almost a month of not talking, the awkwardness of his initial confession, she was still the same Annabeth he knew and loved.

"There's the Annabeth I know and love."

At this, Annabeth's face crumpled, and he saw the uncertainty write itself over her features.

"You still love me even after I ignored you for so long?" she asked weakly.

"Annabeth, I will love you until I take my last breath."

After this, they just stared into each other's eyes for a moment, content in finally being able to look at each other face to face, knowing the truth finally.

That is, until they were interrupted by a voice.

"You might want to look above you," said Hestia, the laughter obvious in her voice.

"Oh my God, Hestia," Percy murmured under his breath.

But still. "Well, we can't really ignore tradition, can we?" he said to Annabeth.

He moved his mouth towards Annabeth, and she met him halfway. It was so much better than he had imagined.

XxX

Percy and Annabeth stayed at the coffee shop after it had closed and Hestia had gone home, talking and kissing for hours, both rejoicing in the fact that they were both finally talking to each other, face to face, fully knowing everything.

When they showed up at Piper and Jason's house half an hour before midnight, carrying a tray of gingerbread cookies from the store, Piper and Jason were ecstatic at seeing them together. From the way that Percy's hair was a mess and Annabeth's lipstick was smudged, it was obvious to everyone what they had been doing. But Percy didn't care. All that mattered was that him and Annabeth were finally together, and he was spending time with his friends. He didn't need anything else.

THE END

**AN: Thank you so much for reading! I started working on this almost 2 years ago, stopped writing, and recently came across this and decided to finish it. If there's any difference in the style of writing between sections that may be why! If you haven't, also check out Coffee Shop Meetings and Texted Greetings, the original fanfic that's in Annabeth's POV. **


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